Collapsible winder shaft



Dec. 13, 1932. G. R. DuBus COLLAPSIBLE WINDER SHAFT 50, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed AAprily (ya/'Q y EC, i3, $.93. G, R DUBUS gl' f COLLAPSIBLE WINDER SHAFT Filed April 50, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 D66. 13, i932, G, R, DUBUS GOLLAPSIBLE WINDER SHAFT Filed April 30, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 m MWL M Patented Dec. 13, 1932 PATENT F FEC GUsTAvn 'ROBERT Deens, 'or MOBILE, ALABAMA n coLLAPs'IBLn winnen SHAFT Appucati'on 'med rApril 3o,

This invention 'relates to paper machinery, and'has special reference to a collapsible shaft for paper rolls.

It is common, in paper making, to wind the 'nished web in rolls of more or less diameter as desired, vand todo this paper machines are commonly provided with roll shafts on which the paper web is wound. In order to provide for ready removal of these shafts from the rolls after they are wound, it has been proposed to make the shafts collapsible, fand to that end certain collapsible shafts have been devised. Such devices have heretofore been made of two or more tube segments connected by pin and link connections, and have been found defective in several :particulars, among which may be mentioned that tube segments, unless with very heavy walls and thus specially manufactured, lack the yproper rigidity to supportJ the heavy paper roll. Again, vsuch tube segments' fail to properly support the link pins on account of lack of bearing surface. Further, such tube segments make it necessary to carry the pressure, due to the tendency of the lshaft to collapse, directly on the pins which are necessarily of small dia-meter and thus rapidly wear.

The present invention has for its objects, among others, to provide a collapsible shaft so constructed that the segments of the shaft proper may be made by simple machine 'operations from a length of ordinary shafting such as cold rolled steel; to provide connecting links between such segments so arranged that the pressures tending to collapse the shaft will be taken directly on the ends of the links, thus freeing the pins from substantially all pressure and wear; to provide eliicient and readily accessible means for permitting lubrication of the part-s; and to provide a novel journal arrangement for the ends of the shaft wherein the journals have unbroken cylindrical surfaces kand yet permit ready separation of theshaft and paper roll.

With the vabove and other objects in view, as will be presently apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts khereinafter fully described, illustrated in the 1932'. serial no. 608,528.

accompanying drawings, and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate llike parts in the several views, and:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the shaftI with the central part broken out and the journals omitted; f

Figure 2 is a diametral section through a portion of the shaft showing the stop ar- 50 dl:l`igure 8 is a side view of the end portion `75 of the shaft carrying aremovable journal sleeve, the view being partly in eleva-tion and partly in section;

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the shaft from the right of Figure 8;

Figure `10 is an enlarged detail section on the line 10- 10 of Figure 2;

Figure 11 is a side elevation of a certain stop block used herewith;

Figure 12 is a bottom plan view of the stop block. v

The shaft forming this invention is preferably constructed by taking a length of suitable rolled shafting such as cold rolled steel and turning down a portion at each end to receive a journal sleeve. The shaft is then cut in two lengthwise by a milling cutter or saw, arranged to forni a diametral slot through the shaft. Preferably, this slot is about one-fourth inch wide, though I am not to be restricted to any specific width. By this means there are provided two shaft segments each having a body 10 and reduced ends 11 and 12. Each of these segments has its cross sections of slightly less than a semiv circle so that the segments may be said to be sub-semi-cylindrical.

Each segment is now placed on a milling machine with its plane side up, and a series of parallel sided spaced pockets 13 are milled therein, the pockets of one segment being milled to lie opposite the `pockets of the other segment When the shaft is in expanded position. The floor or bottom of each pocket has a plane central portion, and arcuate ends formed by the action of the milling cutter. By this arrangement the two shaft segments, when in assembled position, will have these pockets arranged in pairs. In each pair of pockets thus formed there is fitted a link 14, 'having semi-'circular ends and parallel sides. These links and the depths of the pockets are so y arranged that in expanded position the links Will hold the shaft segments spaced to the original diameter of the shaft. It is most important that the ends of the links bear on the bottoms of the pocket-s so that the stresses due to the tendency of the shaft segments to move toward each other will all be sustained by the links themselves and not by the pivot pins 15 by which the links are held in posit-ion in the pockets. To this end the pins 15 are fitted tightly in the shaft segments, and loosely in the links, the extent of clearance being too small to be shown in the drawings, since a clearance of two or three thousandths of an inch is suflicient to relieve all strain from the pins. Moreover, the thickness of the links 14 is such that they fit snugly in the pockets and thus form keys to prevent any lateral movement of one segment- With reference to the other.

\ For convenience, the pockets 13 may be termed the link pockets.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a slot 1G is formed in each segment, extending from one pocket 13 to a point spaced from the adjacent pocket 13 Where it terminates in a shoulder 17. These slots 16, While arranged opposite each other in the two segments, have their shoulders 17 at opposite ends, and between these shoulders is fitted a pair of stop blocks 18 each held to a respective segment by a screw 18.

Similarly, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, there are formed between adjacent pairs of pockets 13, a pair of spring pockets 19 in which is located a coiled tension spring 20, secured to the respective shaft segments by pins 21. It is to be noted that the axis of the spring 20 is, when the shaft is expanded, in coincidence with the axis of the shaft, and even when the shaft is collapsed it is but slightly out of alinement With the shaft axis. This causes the spring to operate more effectually than when set at an angle, as is common in such devices.

It is to be understood that the links are not quite perpendicular to the axis of the shaft When the latter is expanded but, due to the arrangement of the stop blocks 18, the links pass over the dead center of a perpendicular line when the stop blocks are engaged. Thus, the spring is not depended upon to hold the segments from collapsing from fully expanded position, since the tendency, resisted by the stop blocks, is for the upper segment `n the drawings to move to the left and the lower segment to move to the right. llo\v ever, this off-center position is so slight (amounting on the scale of the present drawings to but one-sixty-fourth of an inch) that it is inappreciable, and could only be indicated by dimensions.

In order to provide means for effecting collapse oft'he shaft. there is provided adjacent one end a pair of opposed lever openings 22, so arranged that a lever may be thrust through one of these openings and into the other, and then swing in a direction longitudinally of the shaft to move the upper segment to the right and the lower segment to the left, thus bringing the two segments together.

Each end of the shaft is provided with a journal sleeve to support the shaft in suitable bearings (not shown). At one end, as shown in Figures l and 5, the liournal sleeve Q3 is secured to one segment of the shaft by screws fZ-l, the other segment being left free so as not to interfere with the collapsing movement of the parts. At the other end there is provided a journal sleeve Q5 which is held to rotate with the shaft by a key seated in the usual keyivay in the sleeve and a segment of the shaft. Thus, at this end the sleeve 25 may be slipped off the shaft to permit removal of the paper roll When finished.

In operation, the shaft is placed in the machine in the usual manner and the paper Wound thereon. lhen the desired amount of paper has been formed into a roll, the roll and shaft are removed. T he bearing sleeve 25 is slipped and a lever inserted in the lever holes and manipulated to collapse the shaft which is then Withdrawn from the roll. Release of the lever will permit the shaft to resume its expanded condition, whereupon it may be replaced in the machine for the formation of the next paper roll. Oil holes 27 are provided in the blocks 14.

There has thus been provided a simple and efiicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention Without departing from the principles involved. It is not therefore desired to conline the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all forms which come Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, is:

1. A collapsible shaft for paper rolls including a solid shaft having a diametral slot extending from end to end and dividing the shaft into a pair of segments, said segments having opposed link pockets formed in their proximal faces and arranged tof form spaced pairs of pockets, and links each held in a respective pair of pockets and bearing at all times against the bottoms of the respective pockets to form struts between the segments and to take the stresses tending to move the segments together.

2. A collapsible shaft for paper rolls including a solid shaft having a diametral slot extending from end to end and dividing the shaft into a pair of segments, said segments having opposed link pockets formed in their proximal faces and arranged to form spaced pairs of pockets, links each held in a respective pair of pockets and bearing at all times against the bottoms of the respective pockets to form struts between the segments and to take the stresses tending to move the segments together, and pins extending through said links into the side walls of said pockets, said pins fitting loosely in said links.

3. A collapsible shaft for paper rolls including a solid shaft having a diametral slot extending from end to end and dividing the shaft into a pair of segments, said segments having opposed link pockets formed in their proximal faces and arranged to form spaced pairs of pockets, and links each held in a pair of said pockets and provided with semi-circular ends having rolling contact with the bottoms of the respective pockets.

4. A collapsible shaft for paper rolls including a solid shaft having a diametral slot extending from end to end and dividing the shaft into a pair of segments, said segments having opposed link pockets formed in their proximal faces and arranged to form spaced pairs of pockets, links each held in a pair of said pockets and provided with semi-circular ends having rolling contact with the bottoms of the respective pockets, and pins extending through the link ends axially of the semicircles and fitting loosely in the links and tightly in the side walls of the pockets.

5. A collapsible shaft for paper rolls including a solid shaft having a diametral slot extending from end to end and dividing the shaft into a pair of segments, said segments having opposed link pockets formed in their proximal faces and arranged to form spaced pairs of pockets, and links each held in a pair of said pockets and provided with semicircular ends having rolling contact with the bottoms of the respective pockets, said links each having its thickness equalling the widths of the pockets to fit closely between the side walls of the pockets.

6. A collapsible shaft for paper rolls including a solid shaft having a diametral slot extending from end to end and dividing the shaft into a pair of segments, said segments having opposed link pockets formed in their proximal faces and arranged to form spaced pairs of pockets, links each held in a pair of said pockets and provided with semi-circular ends having rolling Contact with the bottoms of the respective pockets, said segments having stop block pockets formed in their proximal faces, and stop blocks fixed in said stop block pockets and arranged to limit longitudinal movement of one segment with respect to the other, said stop blocks being positioned to permit slight movement of the segments in direction for expansion beyond fully expanded position.

7. A collapsible shaft for paper rolls including a solid shaft having a diametral slot extending from end to end and dividing the shaft into a pair of segments, said segments having opposed link pockets formed in their proximal faces and arranged to form spaced pairs of pockets, links each held in a respective pair of pockets and bearing at all times against the bottoms of the respective pockets to form struts between the segments and to take the stresses tending to move the segments together, said segments having opposed spring pockets formed in their proximal faces, and a spring in said spring pockets axially coincident with the shaft in expanded position of the latter and having its ends secured to respective segments.

8. A collapsible shaft for paper rolls including a solid shaft having a diametral slot extending from end to end and dividing the shaft into a pair of segments, said segments having opposed link pockets formed in their proximal faces and arranged to form spaced pairs of pockets, links each held in a respective pair of pockets and bearing at all times against the bottoms of the respective pockets to form struts between the segments and to take the stresses tending to move the segments together, and a pair of journal sleeves fitted on the ends of said shaft, said sleeves being secured to one of the segments and free from the other, the sleeve at one end being arranged for ready removal from the shaft.

9. A collapsible shaft for paper rolls including a solid shaft having a diametral slot extending from end to end and dividing the shaft into a pair of segments, said segments having opposed link pockets formed in their proximal faces and arranged to form spaced pairs of pockets, links each held in a respective pair of pockets and bearing at all times against the bottoms of the respective pockets to form struts between the segments and to take the stresses tending to move the segments together, said links having oil passages leading from the space between the segments to the pins and link ends.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

GUSTAVE ROBERT DUBUS. 

